Method of making playing balls



Ma 20, 1941. F. 5. DE BEER METHOD OF MAKING PLAYING BALLS Filed Feb. 9, 1939 //v1//v 761-? Frederick 5. deBeer' M y Mai/aw A 7 TOR/V5 Y Patented May 20, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

2,242,455 METHOD or MAKING name isms Frederick S. de Beer, Albany, N. Y.

Application February 9, 1939, Serial No. 255,446

Claims.

My invention more particularly relates to a method of making a playing ball, such as a soft is cheaper than the usual ball of the same type and which will maintain its form and resiliency when subjected to the rough usage which balls of this character are commonly called upon to undergo.

A further object of my invention is a method of making a ball of the foregoing character which may be carried out expeditiously.

A further object of my invention is a method of making a ball which comprises surrounding a core with a winding of yarn or thread and molding thereon under pressure a mixture of latex and thickener which penetrates at least a portion of said winding and forms an outer surface of latex and thickener which takes on the pattern of the mold in which it is formed.

A still further object of my invention is a method of making a ball of the foregoing character the outer portion of the cover of which is formed of a material other than leather but has the feel of leather and is molded to simulate the appearance of leather or of any other desired material.

Other objects of my invention will appear in the specification and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in. which I have illustrated a suitable mold for carrying out my invention and a ball made in accordance therewith; and in which 7 Fig. 1 is a section through a ball made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a ball made in accordance with my invention, and- Fig. 4 is a sectional view through a mold suitable for carrying out the molding operation.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the drawing.

My present application is a continuation in part of my application, Ser. No. 188,900, which was filed in the Patent Ofl'ice February 5, 1938, and is now abandoned.

In fabricating a soft ball in accordance with my invention I first prepare a core i, preferably of suitable compressible material. I usually employ for the core a fibrous material such as kapok, felt clips or sisal fiber, although I have successfully employed excelsior, particularly for cheaper balls. The core is wound, preferably by machine, with a layer of yarn or thread 2 which serves both to compress the core and maintain the same in spherical form. The thread is preferably comparatively small and of the order of coarse sewing thread, though any desired thread sufilciently strong for the purpose may be used. While I have specifically described the making of the core and winding of a soft ball, it is to be understood that my invention is applicable to the making of balls other than soft balls, such as base balls in which the core may be formed of cotton waste, felt clips, cork or rubber and wound with thread or yarn as in the case of a soft ball.

After the core has been wound I apply, as by painting, to the interior of a preformed mold, indicated generally at 3 in Fig. 4 and comprising two sections 3| and 32, a relatively thin pasty coating or layer 4 formed of a viscous mixture of uncured latex and a thickener, preferably flock or rutile (TiOz) though I am not limited to these particular materials as a thickener. The mixture of uncured latex and thickener may be prepared and kept in any suitable receptacle. The interior of the mold is preferably the same size as the ball made as described. The edges of each section are preferably provided with notches 5 for a purpose which will presently appear.

I then dip the core so wound in the same vis cous mixture of latex and thickener with which the mold has been painted. A sufficient amount of thickener should be used to impart to the fluid mixture a viscous consistency considerably thicker than that of ordinary paint as usually applied. When the wound core has been thoroughly coated with the mixture of latex and thickener, it is placed in the described mold to the interior of which the same mixture of latex and thickener has been applied and pressure is applied to the mold in any suitable manner to bring the two sections forcibly together, means also being provided for heating the mold.

A thick layer of latex compound adheres to the ball when dipped and when the mold, is closed the latex compound, which adheres to the clipped ball, amalgamates with the latex compound which was painted on thainterior of the mold. When the molds are closed part of this latex compound is forced into the interstices between the threads of the winding, part is forced out between the sections of the mold and sufficient remains on the surface of the ball to smooth the irregularities of the yarn winding and conform to the contour of the mold.

I find that'the viscous mixture in which the ball is dipped should have the rather thick consistency above referred to so that enough of the mixture will adhere to the outer surface of the core in order that part of it will thoroughly penetrate, under pressure from the molds, the

interstices of at least a portion of'the thread windingandsothattherewillstillremaina distinct thin outer layer 8 of latex and thickener,

the outer surface of which will conform to the,

contour of the mold. By applying heat to, the balLthrough the medium of the mold, most of the moisture which is present in the latex, is driven intothecoreoftheballandthelatex .-l. The method ofmaking a playing ball sufiiciently dried to cause the sameto be cured under the infiuence of the heat to which its is subjected or vulcanized in case a suitable vulcanizing agent is present in the latex.

The combined outer layer of cured latex and thickener and inner layer comprising at least a portion of the thread winding, the interstices 1 between the threads of which are filled with cured latex and thickener, provides a composite integral cover for the ball. The tlu-ead winding may be composed of a comparatively thin layer around the core so that the diameter of the ball is increased only a small amount or it may be a thicker layer around the core so. as substantiallyto increase the diameter of the ball. when the winding is a thin layer, the latex and thickener will penetrate all the interstices of 1 the winding and the entire winding will become a part of the cover. On the other hand, when the winding is a thick layer the latex and thickener will penetrate the interstices of a portion only of the winding, thus incorponating that portion only of the. winding in the cover. e g

The mold is also preferably provided in intaglio with a depression made by the seam of a ball and which provides on the surface of the finished ball a ridge I which simulates the appearance of the seam of an ordinary base ball or the like and which also assists in affording the user a good grip on the ball and which at the sametifne adds to the attractive appearance thereof.

winding a layer 'a mold, applying a mold which comprises forming a core, winding a layer of thread about said core, dipping the wound core in a suitably thick viscous material comprising latex to form a cover for the ball, coating*the interior of a heated mold of desiredsize with said material, placing the ball so'formed in said mold, and applying to said mold sufiicient heat and pressure to force a portion of the material of said cover into the interstices between at least a portion of the threads of said winding.

2. The method of making a playing ball using a mold which comprises forming a compressible core, compressing and confining said core by winding a layer of thread about the same, heating the mold, applying to the interior of the mold a layer of material comprising latex and a thickener, dipping said wound core in a viscous mixture of latex and thickener, placing the dipped ball in the mold, and applying to said mold sufficient heat and pressure to force a portion of said material into the interstices between threads of said winding and to cure the latex thereby amalgamating the cured latex and thickener with the threads, whose interstices, are filled with latex and thickener,

into an integral compositecover. 3. The method of making a playing'ball which comprises forming a core of compressible material, compressing and confining said core by of thread about same, heating to the interior of the mold a layer of material comprising latex and thickener, dipping said wound core in aviscous mixture of latex and thickener, placing the dipped ball in the mold and applying to said mold sufiicient By filling the intersticw of at least a portion of the winding with latex and a thickener, that portion of the winding whose interstices are so filled is amalgamated into an integral part of the cover itself when the latex sets or cures, thus providing a very strong cover. At the same time there is only a very thin outer-layer of latex and thickener on the outside of the ball thereby keeping the combined weight of the latex compound which is in the interstices of the yarn winding and on the outer surface of the ball to the approximate weight of a leather cover. The thread winding thus incorporated in the latex and thickener reinforces the cover in the same manner that steel mesh reinforces concrete.

The reason for my being able to force the material into the interstices between the threads lies in the fact that I place the ball in the mold pressure to force part of the viscous mixture which adheres to said wound core into the interstices between the threads of the winding leaving sumcient material outside of the thread wind- 7 in: to conceal while the latex compound still has a thick liquid consistency. It had hitherto been supposed it would not be possible "to force the latex into the interstices of the yarn because the latex comall surface irregularities of the thread winding,fthe exterior surface of the ball being shaped and patterned by the interior surface of the mold, and subjecting the latex mixture to heat treatment withthe heat of the mold.

4. The steps in the method of making splaying ball using a mold which comprises forming a core, winding a layer of thread about said core and to a diameter approximately the same as that of the internal diameter of said mold, dipping the ball'so formed in a pasty latex compound to form a layer of the said compound on v the ball and thereby increasing the diameter of the dipped ball over that of the interior of said mold, inserting the dipped ball in said mold, and closing the mold under sumcient heat and pressure to vulcanize said latex compound and to force a portion of said latex compound into the interstices of said winding.

5. The method of makinga playingball using a heated-mold which comprises forming a core,

winding a layer of thread about said core to a diameter approximately the same as the interior of said mold, painting the interior of said mold with a thin pasty layer of a latex compound, dipping the core and winding in a pasty latex compound of substantially the same character as said painted layer on the mold to form a ball of a diameter greater than that of the interior of the mold, inserting said ball in said mold and closing the mold under pressure suflicient to force latex compound into the interstices of said winding and under heat sufllcient to valcanize said FREDERICK S. DE BEER. 

